


Nightmare

by SugdenLovesDingle



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: A little angst with a happy ending, Fluff, M/M, a little hurt comfort, no ghost!Val though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 17:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13171851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: The funeral dream sequence from the Christmas ep, but with a happy ending instead of the hospital drama





	Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> someone on tumblr made a post about wanting to see a fic of the funeral from the Christmas ep, but with Robert waking up in the mill and Aaron watching tv instead of him waking up in hospital. I liked the idea so i wrote it.

“Hello love. I’ve laid out your suit for you. And Doug is going to bring you a black tie.”

“What? Why do I need a black tie?” Robert asks, trying to make sense of what he’s seeing, wondering if he’s still dreaming. Why he’s not at home.

Doug and Victoria walk into the room, both dressed in black like Diane and something begins to click in Robert’s brain.

He yanks the covers off of himself and jumps up from the sofa.

“What… What’s happening?” He asks, searching his family’s faces. “It is Christmas right?”

“He’s not himself.” Diane says, turning to Vic and Doug.

“Yeah, none of us are.” Victoria is wiping the tears from her face and Robert starts to panic. “He’s outside.” She tells him.

“Who is? Who is outside?”

When nobody answers he runs to look out the window. As soon as he sees it he knows what’s going on. Even before he sees the flowers.

Aaron.

“No, no, no. This isn’t real.”

“It’s ok pet, calm down.” Diane’s hand is rubbing his back and it does absolutely nothing to comfort him. “Why don’t you go get dressed and I’ll make you something to eat. And before you say you’re not hungry, you have to eat something.”

“What? No. I can’t. I’m… this isn’t real. This isn’t happening.”

He looks out the window again and sees the horse drawn hearse go past the house, Chas and Liv following behind with Paddy. He knows it can’t be real but at the same time he can’t tear his eyes away from the coffin.

“No…”

“Come on love, get this down you.” Diane is back again, with a cup of tea and some toast this time. “You have to keep your strength up. Aaron wouldn’t want you to stop taking care of yourself.”

“Aaron… he’s… what happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Diane asks. “Oh love…” She brushes his hair off his forehead and gives him a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry. You have your family to get you through this. Us Sugdens stick together don’t we?”

Suddenly he’s in his suit, walking down Main Street towards the cemetery. Vic has an arm around his waist and is leaning into his side while wiping fresh tears from her face.

“Maybe we could go see mum and dad after? If you’re up to it?” She asks softly as they walk up to the graveside.

“Yeah… maybe.” Robert tells her, not able to take his eyes off the coffin.

He’s vaguely aware of Harriet starting the service and then the coffin is being lowered into ground.

“This isn’t happening. It can’t be.”

“I know. It doesn’t seem real, does it?”

Chas walks up to the graveside and throws a flower on the coffin.

“I miss you love. It’s so strange not to have you sitting at the bar.” she wipes her tears away and looks up at Robert. He can’t read her expression.

Paddy and Liv follow her and Liv’s glare at him is deadly.

“Liv? What? What have I done?”

The rest of the Dingles say their goodbyes and leave. Lisa the only one to give him a sad smile.

“What have I done?” Robert asks again and lets himself fall to his knees beside the grave. “Did I do this? I’m sorry. I love you so much. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

He squeezes his eyes shut to stop the tears from falling but then he feels something change and when he opens them again he’s not in the cemetery but at home in the Mill.

The room is dark and he’s stretched out on the sofa, his feet in Aaron’s lap. Aaron who is very much alive and rubbing circles on his ankle with his thumb while staring at the tv.

“Oh hey, you’re awake.” Aaron says and smiles at him. “Welcome back sleepyhead.”

“What… what time is it?” Robert asks, still not sure he’s actually awake.

“Just gone 10. You’ve been out for about two hours. Liv recorded the film though so we can watch it when you feel better.”

“Right…” Robert says, looking down at himself and then around the room. He’s dressed in his old joggers and one of Aaron’s hoodies. “W-where’s Liv?”

“Upstairs skyping Sandra. She didn’t want to wake you. Or well… that’s the official version. She’s probably talking to Gabby.” Aaron says with a chuckle. “You feel any better now?”

“I uh…” Robert starts and rubs his eyes. “Sorry I’m… a little out of it… had a weird dream I suppose.”

“Yeah? What about? You had this confused frown on your face for a while.”

“You watched me sleep?”

Aaron laughs and moves Robert’s legs from his lap and shifts a little closer.

“Guess your creepiness is rubbing off on me.” He jokes and kisses Robert first on the lips and then his forehead. “I think your temperature has gone down now. You’re not as hot anymore as this afternoon.”

“Right. Yeah…”

“Ok what was that dream about? I just said you’re not hot and you don’t say anything?”

“No. It was… I don’t know. It felt so real.”

“Tell me.”

“I… woke up… on Vic’s sofa… and everything was all… weird. And then… Vic was crying… You were dead. I saw the hearse coming down the street… with flowers spelling out your name.”

Aaron frowns.

“Bit morbid.”

“Yeah… I don’t know… I think it was my fault. Your mum, Liv… your whole family… they all seemed to blame me.”

“What? You killed me?”

“I don’t know. I kept asking what happened but nobody would tell me… and then I woke up.” Robert says, rubbing his face.

“Well just try to forget about it. I’m fine, you’re fine and you’re home, neither of us is going anywhere, and our family loves you.” Aaron said and kissed him. “I was just thinking about making a brew, want one too?”

“Uh… yeah… sure…” Robert says and watches Aaron get up and walk to the kitchen.

“You want me to heat you up some of that soup Diane made us?” Aaron asks as he takes two mugs out of the cupboard and digs around for tea bags. “You know she’ll have a go at you for not keeping your strength up and all that.”

When Robert doesn’t reply Aaron turns around and sees the crushed look on his husband’s face.

“What? What did I say?”

Robert shakes his head.

“Nothing. It’s just… she said that in my dream. That I had to keep my strength up… cos it’s what you would have wanted.”

“That dream really messed with your head didn’t it?”

“Yeah… I… just… it seemed so real.” Robert says, getting up from the sofa and shuffling into the kitchen to splash some cold water in his face.

“Alright?”

“Will be. I think I just need an early night. Hopefully have some happy dreams.”

Aaron grins and hands him his tea.

“Some happy dreams? About this incredibly good-looking bloke that makes you cups of tea and looks after you when you’re sick?”

“Yeah that would be nice. Do you know anyone like that?” Robert jokes.

“Oi, watch it. Or else you’re going to get familiar with Vic’s sofa again.” Aaron says laughingly. “Flu or no flu.”

Robert smiles and sips his tea, the dread and misery from his dream slowly fading away and making him feel more like himself again. Happy. Content. Loved.


End file.
